How tall is tall enough? Crazily enough, there are restrictions within petite modeling. Unsurprisingly you can be too tall, but you can also be too short to fit into the standard that is expected. Women must ideally sit between 5'1 – 5'7 and men should be above 5'4 and under 5'9.
Yes, a girl who is 5'2'' can become a model, although it may be more challenging to enter certain sectors of the modeling industry, such as high fashion or runway modeling, where taller heights are often preferred. However, there are many niches within modeling where shorter models can succeed, including:
While the typical fashion modeling dimensions for women tend to fall between 5'9” and 6 feet, and 5'11” to 6'2” for male fashion models, there are still lots of jobs for shorter models to book. On occasion, modeling agencies may make exceptions for models who are just outside the typical industry standard.
For female runway models, the height standard has been quite consistent over the years. Generally, the industry looks for female models who stand between 5'9″ and 6'0″, with the average model height hitting right in the middle at 5'9.5”.
Short models can range from anywhere between 5'2″ and 5'7″ tall. As with other models, they are expected to have an hourglass frame that is proportional. Their measurements tend to be slightly smaller than the average model to mirror their shorter height.
The modeling industry uses models of all heights for a range of jobs and campaigns. Kate Moss is only 5'6” and Lily-Rose Depp is 5'3” - these two super-successful models have never let height stop them. Most commercial campaigns (adverts for brands, billboards etc…)
7 Sara Sampaio: 5'7”
At 5'8, it's up for debate whether Sara classifies as a petite model, but one thing is for sure: she's one of the shortest models to have ever walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Sara recently became the face of Calvin Klein, Balmain, Marchesa, Tommy Hilfiger and Tory Burch.
You don't need to be tall to become a model. While most models are typically 5'9" to 6", you can still be signed with an agency even if you fall under this height range. Tall models may dominate the high fashion world, but there are plenty of other opportunities out there.
According to ZipRecruiter, petite models get paid, on average, $31 per hour. The pay ranges between $10.34 to $67.07 as of 2024. In terms of cities, California leads the way when it comes to high-paying petite model jobs with an average annual salary of $82,138.
A perfect place to start is WINK Models, they represent petite faces from all over Australia (their shortest male and female model being 5'2). Brazen Models and Vivien's Models also represent a fair few female models specifically under 5'5.
Is 5.2 short for a girl? No! 5'2 ft is a pretty average height for women in India.
The good news is that tattoos are becoming more and more commonplace in the modelling industry. In the past, finding a high-profile model with tattoos was very rare, but these days, many huge names are showing off their incredible body art.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $142.55 and as low as $10.10, the majority of Runway Model wages currently range between $14.90 (25th percentile) to $72.12 (75th percentile) across the United States.
16-21 is the typical age range. Most agencies will require models to be at least 16 years old, but models can be younger than this.
How much does an Entry Level Model make? As of Mar 13, 2025, the average hourly pay for an Entry Level Model in the United States is $31.37 an hour.
Petite refers to stature not weight. Most people still think petite means skinny when in fact petite has nothing to do with weight. Petite is the term used in the fashion industry to describe a woman who is 5'3 tall or under. Petite women come in all shapes and sizes, whether they're a size 4 or 14.
Models under 5'6" are usually “parts models” who only model specific parts of the body, such as the face, hands and feet. Since there is lower demand for petite models in the industry, modelling agencies rarely represent anyone under 5'7".
You can be 5'7"-ish only if you're 14 years old and still growing — or if you're Kate Moss.) With similarly precious few exceptions (and thus discounting the plus-size sector) to the industry rule, female models weigh in between 90 lbs. and 120 lbs; male models, 120 lbs. to 160 lbs.
How tall is Kate Moss? She stands at a height of 1.7m / 5'7” How much does Kate Moss weigh? Kate Moss weighs 121lbs / 55kg When was Kate Moss born? She was born on 16th January, 1974 How old is Kate Moss?
Devon Aoki is one of the shortest fashion models in the business. The New York native is 5ft5in. But she has had plenty of success. In the late 90s, she became the face of Versace and also posed for Chanel, Kenzo, Moschino, Fendi and many more.
Wildine Aumoithe continues to inspire the masses with her restless advocacy work. As the shortest professional model ever, she celebrates unique beauty and self-acceptance, showing that the lack of inclusivity in a specific industry does not define one's potential.
Yoga is great, but the reality of being booked by Victoria's Secret—and of modelling in general—is that most models are tall (over 5'9") and thin.
Taylor Hill (model)